A Few Christmas Wishes

LITTLE ROCK — On this Christmas Day, when we sing of peace on Earth and good will toward men, here are some holiday wishes for Northwest Arkansas.

First, hear a plea for tolerance.

Opposition that surfaced recently to a Bentonville High School student organization screamed of intolerance.

The only mission this Gay-Straight Alliance Club has is promoting acceptance and understanding among people of different sexual orientations who choose to participate in the organization.

The simple answer for those who can’t tolerate such an organization is not to participate.

They shouldn’t try to stop communication among those who want to understand each other better.

Yet, it is hardly just among gays and straights that a bit of tolerance is needed around here.

The same can be said of Hispanics and non-Hispanics, of immigrants and nonimmigrants, even of those who are legal and nonlegal.

Whichever category we fit, most of us have the same desires to live good lives, provide for our families and make some sort of contribution to our communities.

If we can first remember what we have in common, tolerance of the differences might be more achievable.

While we’re at it, consider being more tolerant of others’ political viewpoints. Whatever happened todisagreeing without being disagreeable? We don’t have to accept another religion to respect it. Can’t the same apply to political opinions?

Unfortunately, the disrespect tends to be driven from afar, coursed through our collective psyche by advertising intended to set us against something or someone, if not against each other. Too often, it works. And we can only expect the assault to worsen in the new year.

Often, it seems, we’re much better at creating barriers rather than at building bridges to that elusive understanding we need of each other’s challenges.

So, here, too, is a wish for all of us to be more observant and recognize just what kinds of challenges our neighbors may be facing.

Despite all that Northwest Arkansas has and is, there are those among us who are hungry and homeless or on the verge of it. They are often in plain sight yet unseen by those of us rushing to our jobs and our houses, certain of our next meal and anotherpaycheck to meet the mortgage.

Granted, economic hard times have spread the misery. Even prosperous Northwest Arkansas has shed jobs and seen businesses downsize, forcing more of us to worry about the possibility, if not to experience firsthand, financial problems.

Individuals and families are coping as they must, altering their lives and putting dreams on hold.

Food pantries and other service organizations report many new faces seeking aid and fewer people donating to such causes.

We need to be more aware, see the challenges and to understand that now is a time to help, to reach out to someone else, even as we pull our own families closer.

Speaking of families, remember on this day the families with an empty seat at the table, the ones with sons and daughters who are at war or have been casualties of war. The sacrifices by the troops and their families should be honored, even as Americans grow ever more weary of these wars.

Economic distress and other domestic challenges have taken too much attention away from Iraq and Afghanistan for all but the military and their families. For them, war is ever present.

So, take time to remember them all and imagine their challenges, as we consider the season and continue the never-ending search for peace on Earth, good will toward men.

BRENDA BLAGG IS A COLUMNIST FOR NORTHWEST ARKANSAS NEWSPAPERS.